Ah, the Heck with Daytona - Let's Go Home

After a few days with family and friends it was time to move on.  Decision time.  Go to Daytona Beach for opening weekend of Bike Week or head home.  I can't really explain why, but going home seemed to win out.  Normally, I'd look for any and every excuse to ride hundreds of miles out of my way, but this trip I was just ready to go home.

Before I left Virginia, Renee tried to tell me I should wait a few more days and go later.  One of these days, I'm going to listen to her when she is trying to tell me these things.  Normally my rides have me on the move every day and this time I rode hard to Alabama and spent a few days in one place.  I think this gave me too much time on my hands and the next thing I knew I was hellbent on going home.

So, I bailed on the Daytona part of the trip and started looking at the route home.  The weather had a big part to play in the decision.  A new cold front was moving in and stretched across the US from the Great Lakes to Texas.  I needed to ride hard to stay in front of it and avoid the rain and storms that were coming with it.

Here's the weather map from 7AM on March 8 - The day I left Alabama headed for Virginia

I picked a route that I thought would give me the best shot of avoiding the weather.  Unfortunately, that meant another day of riding interstates.  My thought was to ride hard toward Greensboro, North Carolina.  This route would take me northeast and, with a little luck, keep me ahead of the cold front.

Then I had a stroke of genius!  Mt Airy, North Carolina was only 65 or 70 miles northwest of Greensboro and it's the birthplace of Andy Griffith.  Now as embarrassing as this may be for me (and definitely for Renee) I am a huge fan of the Andy Griffith Show.  I've seen every episode or at least Renee will tell you I've seen them all.  Mt Airy was the town that was the basis for Mayberry in the show.  I had to go there.  It's just that simple.

So, I jumped on the bike around 6:30 that morning and set my sights for "Mayberry"!  I made a stop in Loxley to fill the tank and then it was 169 miles and 2 hours and 15 minutes of non-stop riding up I-65 to Montgomery and then northeast on I-85 toward Atlanta.  This was one of those "My butt was screaming at me" sections of the ride and I was happy to take a break just east of Montgomery.

As I was headed north on I-65, somewhere in southeast Alabama, I saw several Storm Tracker vehicles headed south.  My initial thought was, "Oh hell, I hope those guys aren't expecting nasty weather soon."  Then I realized, having them going the opposite direction as me was actually a good thing.  Hopefully, if they found their storms, they would be well south of me.

I kept riding hard all day with the intent of getting to Mt Airy before dark.  I lost an hour when I crossed into Georgia, so I had good intentions, but not enough daylight.  Each section of the ride that day was a minimum of 130 miles and the breaks were short, but sweet (at least for my rear anyway.) 

You can get a McDouble, small fries and small drink for $3 (they're all on the dollar menu at McDonald's).  Three bucks and quick!  My kind of lunch if I don't have time to sit down and enjoy something more substantial, like a cold beer.  After my new found "perfect" lunch (assuming McDonald's can actually offer a "perfect" lunch) I continued up I-85 through South Carolina and into North Carolina.

I remember a ride a couple of years ago when Lake Hartwell at the Georgia-South Carolina state line on I-85 was way down due to the drought.  It had improved significantly since that ride, but you could still see that it had a long way to go to fully recover.  It's a beautiful area and the various fingers of the lake play peek-a-boo with I-85 for about 25 miles.

I made a gas stop in South Carolina.  As I walked back to the bike, a guy asked me where I was headed.  I told him Mt Airy and then he asked where I was coming from.  I told him I had left Mobile that morning.  His response, "Ha, I got ya beat!  I left Arkansas this morning."  Then he proceeded to get back into his car and drive away.  My thoughts, "You're in a car, MORON!  It really isn't the same."

After getting gas in South Carolina, I didn't stop again until I got to the Lone Star Steakhouse in Mt Airy 145 miles up the road.  I arrive shortly after sunset and had a nice hearty meal.  Since I didn't have a motel reservation, I used my phone to check out options.  I made a call to the first motel to pop up on my search and the next thing I knew I was headed to the Mayberry Motor Inn.  How could I possibly resist? 

I really need to get that AARP card and take advantage of those discounts

I highly recommend the Mayberry Motor Inn if you ever find yourself in Mt Airy, NC.  First, the staff is friendly and welcoming and second, the rooms are neat and clean.  Plus, there's a replica of Andy's squad car and Emmett's pickup truck in the parking lot.  I loved it!

The Mayberry Sheriff's Department squad car

Emmett's Fix-It Shop

The bike outside my room at the Mayberry Motor Inn - I smile every time I say those words - C'mon, admit it - They make you smile too, don't they?  Mayberry Motor Inn :)

The rain started about half an hour after I checked in and it rained most of the night.  But, by morning, the front had moved through and even though it was a little colder, I had missed the rain.  Woo hoo!  I love it when a plan comes together!

I spent the next couple of hours wandering around "Mayberry".  After a quick stop at Andy's boyhood home, my plan was to have breakfast at the Blue Bird Diner, but they didn't open until lunch, so I ate at Barney's Cafe instead.  Five bucks for 2 eggs, bacon, home fries and coffee.  Not bad.  I spent the next hour or so wandering along Main Street and seeing the sights.

Andy Griffith's boyhood home - You can book it through the Hampton Inn if you want to stay here

The Blue Bird Diner

Barney's Cafe

Main Street in Mt Airy

Floyd's Barber Shop

One of several of the Mayberry-themed shops along Main Street

After my strolls down Main Street, I headed for Wally's Service Station.  It was at the north end of Main Street and offered not only a few antique cars, but also a replica of the "Courthouse", home to the Squad Car Tours.

Wally's Service Station

Need a tow?

Foley's Market is in the window on the left - It was the scene of one of my favorite Andy Griffith episodes where Aunt Bea won't "call the man" to replace their freezer and she has to ask Mr. Foley to store the meat she bought from a competitor - Great episode!

The "Courthouse" building

Mayberry  Courthouse

I left Main Street and filled the tank to start my ride home.  I planned to visit J.E.B. Stuart's birthplace in Ararat, Virginia just a few miles north of Mt Airy, but somehow I missed the signs for it.  Oh well, by this time I was headed for home so there was no doubling back.  Instead, I kept riding and made my next stop in Martinsville, Virginia with a visit to the speedway there, another NASCAR stop.

51 degrees, but at least it was dry and I was only a couple hundred miles from home by this time

Turn 4 at Martinsville

My next goal was home.  I stopped for some Popcorn Chicken at KFC in Lynchburg, Virginia.  I received a text while I was in KFC from a buddy back home looking for someone to join him for happy hour at our local pub, so it was balls to the walls for home after that.  I made it to the Lion and Bull by about 5PM and settled into a cold Coors Light and telling lies with my friends.

Not the best ride I've ever taken, but not the worst either.  All in all a good trip.  I always enjoy seeing my Alabama family and friends, so that made it worthwhile and heck, a stop down memory lane in "Mayberry" was pretty good too.

Overall, the trip was 2230 miles and the bike got a little more than 39 miles to the gallon even though I had it loaded down.  Good times.

I did 2200 miles on the motorcycle and all Renee got was this tee shirt!